Containers



D. WAINBERG Dec. 19, 1967 CONTAINERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28, 1966 Dec. 19, 1967 WAMBERG 3,358,899

CONTAINERS Filed April 28, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z/NVENZ/WZR DQWAINBERG Dec. 19, 1967 CONTAINERS Filed April 28, 1966 3 Sheets sheet 3 United States Patent 3,358,899 CONTAINERS Daniel Wainberg, 4755 Blvd. des Grandes Prairies, St. Leonard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Filed Apr. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 545,973 Claims. (Cl. 229-29) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The container is made from a pre-cut blank, scored, folded and set up to provide a container having side walls and integral bottom walls that are provided with inner parallel longitudinal intermittent fold lines which are interspaced by cut-out portions and from which are formed the upwardly projecting integral longitudinal central partitions and that are integrally hinged to the bottom walls at the intermittent fold lines thereof, the longitudinal central partitions, in turn, having common and parallel transverse cut-out portions and from which are formed alternating struts, longitudinal locking panels and longitudinal separator panels; these, together with the integral transverse walls and transverse partitions, complete a plurality of individual cells, each cell having its bottom wall entirely enclosing an unobstructed bottom wall cut-out portion and a seal for an egg or other article that is inserted in the cell, the transverse walls and transverse partitions spanning the transverse cut-out portions of the longitudinal central partitions and the solid sections of the bottom walls.

The invention relates to improvements in containers as described in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings that form a part of the same.

The invention consists essentially in the novel features of construction as pointed out broadly and specifically in the claims for novelty following a description containing an explanation in detail of an acceptable form of the invention.

Among the objects of the invention is to devise a container that will be so constructed as to minimize the possibility of any torsional twisting of the erected container in both the longitudinal and lateral directions.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a container of the type described in which the construction is such that it will more effectively protect fragile contents, such as eggs when packed, from shock or pressure on all of its sides and particularly along their weakest or most vulnerable sections.

A further object of the invention is to construct a container that is made from paperboard, cardboard, pastevboard or other equivalent bendable material-that will lend itself to be made in the shape of pre-cut blanks, which may be readily set up to an assembled form for the insertion therein of comestibles or other items.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a cellular container of one-piece construction requiring a minimum of material and in which the individual egg carrying products are provided with longitudinal separator panels, transverse walls and transverse partitions of sufficient springiness to permit the eggs or other items to adjust and nest themselves in the pockets or cells formed in the container.

A still further object of the invention is to permit the overhead locking of the transverse partitions to the front and rear walls of the container through the longitudinal panels thereof without affecting the springiness of the transverse partitions.

A still further object of the invention is to devise a container, made from a pre-cut blank, that will be easy to manufacture and to assemble, sturdy in its setup or erected position and efficient for its purpose.

3,358,899 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description of the disclosure of the invention and the illustrations thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a pre-cut blank from which the container is assembled.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the pre-cut blank, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, folded and completed into a collapsed position, ready to 'be set-up or erected into a formed container.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the set-up or erected container.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the two container sections partially separated from one another.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view as taken along the line 55 in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the erected container.

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the erected container.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the erected container as taken along the line 8-8 in FIGURE 3.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various figures.

The materials for making the pre-cut blank for the containers are of course diversified, such as cardboard, pasteboard, or other types of sheet material may be used provided that they lend themselves to be made into pre cut blanks and capable of being folded to form the container. Furthermore, while the container, as hereinafter described and illustrated, is to be used for the packaging of eggs, it will be understood that the invention may be applied to containers for other purposes.

Referring to the drawings, the pre-cut blank, as indicated by the numeral 15, is formed of a bottom wall section 16, the front and rear wall sections 17 and 18, the section 19 which is formed of the transverse walls 20 and the transverse partitions 21 together with the glue flap 22, and the cover wall section 23 provided with the cover closure flap 24. All these sections are separated from one another by the longitudinal crease or folding lines 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, and by means of which the sections are adapted to be folded and assembled to complete a container 31.

For the better explanation of the invention, the container will henceforth be described as being in a set-up or in a collapsed position.

The bottom wall section 16 is formed of the bottom walls 32 and 33 which have their longitudinal crease or folding lines 26 and 27 separated into a plurality of parallel inner longitudinal intermittent crease lines 34 and 35 from which are articulated the longitudinal intermittent partitions 36 and 37. These longitudinal intermittent partitions 3-6 and 37 are cutout from the bottom wall section 16 and are integral with, one another along their common intermittent fold line 38.

The longitudinal intermittent partitions 36 and 37 have transversely cut-out portions 39 from which are formed the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40, the longitudinal alternate separator panels 42 and the struts 56, all in alinement with one another.

The lower portions of the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and the longitudinal alternate separator panels 42 terminate into legs 43 which project downwardly beyond the location of the longitudinal intermittent crease lines 34 and 35 and through the cut-out portions 39 of the bottom Wall section 16. The upper portions of the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40, adjacent to the common top fold line 38, have U-shaped cut-out portions 44 from which the extension tabs or lugs 45 are formed and project upwardly beyond the location of the common top fold line 38.

Each of the longitudinal alternate locking panels40 has the shoulders 46 and 47 emanating from the common top fold line 38 and sloping downwardly in an outward direction therefrom, the shoulder 46 merging with the approximate inwardly sloping edge 48 on one side of the locking panel while the shoulder 47 merges with the hook portion 41, which forms a part of the approximately vertical edge 49 of the other side of the locking panel. These side edges 48 and 49 terminate at the lower horizontal edges 50 of the transverse cut-out portions 39 from which the longitudinal locking panels 40 and the longitudinal separator panels 42 are formed.

The longitudinal alternate separator panels 42 have the side edges 51 and 52 extending downwardly from the common top fold line 38 and bulging slightly at 53 as they form the contour of the lower portions or bases 54 of the separator panels 42. The lower ends of the side edges 51 and 52 merge with the lower horizontal edges 50 of the transverse cut-out portions 39, and, together with the adjacent opposing approximately vertical edges 49 and hook portions 41 of the adjacent locking panels 40, form guideways 55 for the transverse partitions 21 and their self-adjustment in accordance with the size of the eggs or other contents that are inserted into the container and their abutment therewith.

The ends and the intermediate sections of the bottom Wall section 16 are provided with inverted U-shaped struts 56 made from the cut-out portions 39 that form the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and the alternate separator panels 42. The struts, in co-operation with the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40, form guideways 57 for the transverse walls 20 and are adapted to limit their lateral movements.

The inner longitudinal intermittent crease lines 34 and 35 of the longitudinal intermittent partitions 36 and 37 are located below the cut-out portions 39 and extend parallel with the lower horizontal edges 58 of the cut-out portions 39 so as to form interconnecting bridges 59 between the struts 56, the longitudinal alternate locking :panels 40 and the longitudinal separator panels 42 to one another.

The section 19 of the pre-cut blank 1-5 has the cutout portions 71 from which the transverse walls 20 and the transverse partitions 21 are formed and arranged so as to be in alinement with one another. In the erected position of the container, the transverse walls of the section 19 are integrally and hingedly suspended from the transverse ledges 60, which, in turn, have their ends merging with the top portion of the front wall section 17 and the lower portion of the glue flap 22 that is adhesively secured to the inner face of the rear wall section 18. Slits 61 are formed along the folding edges separating the transverse ledges from the transverse walls and are located between the hinge portions 62 that suspend the transverse walls from the transverseledges 60. These slits are for the purpose of permitting greater latitude to the transverse walls for their lateral movements in the spaces formed between the struts 56 and the adjacent longitudinal panel sections 40.

The lower portions of the transverse walls 20 are centrally recessed at 63 to form angular projections 64 which extend downwardly and laterally on each side thereof, the lower edges of which are adapted to engage with the bottom walls 32 and 33 of the bottom wall section 16. The transverse walls 20' straddle the bridges 59 that join the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and the struts 56 and have their inner vertical edges 65, emanating from the recesses 63, adapted to abut the outer faces of the bridges 59. In this Way, the transverse walls maintain their rigidity in the longitudinal direction while permitting limited movement between the longitudinal panel sections 40 and the struts 56.

The transverse partitions 21 have their ends integral with the front wall 17 and the glue flap 22 and are articulated therefrom through the medium of the angular webs 66 which act as hinge members and are integral with the ends of the transverse partitions 21, the front wall 17 and the glue flap 22. The transverse partitions are provided with the notches 67 centrally located along their top edges and are engaged by the hooks 41 of the longitudinal panel sections 40 for the purpose of anchoring the transverse partitions in rigid longitudinal position while permitting their limited lateral movement between the longitudinal panels 40 and the longitudinal separator panels 42. The separator panels 42 are in the shape of elongated flat strips of a specified width sufficient to form a separator or buffer between the adjacent eggs or other articles that may be inserted in the assembled container.

The container, as illustrated, is shown of a size to contain a dozen eggs or other articles which are inserted in the cells formed by the longitudinal partitions, the front and rear wall sections, the transverse walls and the transverse partitions, and arranged in such a way that the end transverse walls and the intermediate transverse walls, in cooperation with the front and rear walls, constitute individually connected containers of six cells each to cornplete the container for a dozen eggs or other articles.

The transverse serration or separation lines 68 are in alinement with one another and extend vertically through the glue flap, the front and rear walls, and across the cover wall and the cover flap, and join the alined transverse slit 69, separating the contiguous intermediate ledges from one another, and the alined transverse slit 70 that traverses the bottom walls 32 and 33 and separates the contiguous intermediate inverted U-shaped struts from one another. In this way, the container may easily be separated into two individually completed containers, each provided with their own front and rear walls, closure walls transverse partition and end walls, with intermediate longitudinal alternate locking panels and longitudinal alternating separator panels and separator walls completing individual cells therein, and end inverted U- shaped struts forming a part of the longitudinal alternate panel and alternate separator panel set-up and adapted to engage the underside of the transverse ledges, from which the end transverse walls are hingedly suspended, to assist in the longitudinal and lateral strengthening of the detached containers or when they are a single unit.

The overhanging locking hook arrangements 41, on the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40, are adapted to overlap and engage with the top edge of the transverse partitions 21, thereby avoiding the necessity of any slots or apertures to be made in the transverse partitions and thus minimize any weakening thereof. In the same way, the transverse walls 20, apart from the recesses 63 formed in their lower edge portions for shaping out the angular projections 64, are free of any apertures whatsoever, so that there is no weakening of the transverse walls. Furthermore, the integrally transverse ledges 60 of the transverse walls and their strut supporting units 56 increase the entire strength of the container and minimize any torsional twisting thereof.

The transverse walls 20 and the transverse partitions 21 extend across and overhang the longitudinal interconnecting bridges 59 that join the struts 56, the longitudinal alternate locking panel 40 and the longitudinal alternate separator panels 42, thereby further increasing the strength and the rigidity of the container structure. There are no obstructions to the openings in the bottom walls 32 and 33 left by the cut-out portions from which the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and the longitudinal alternate separator panels 42 are formed, and as these openings are located in the central inner portions of the bottom walls, where the formed cells are situated, they create gaps between the interconnecting bridges 59 and permit the egress of the legs 43 projecting downward- 70 ly from the longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and the longitudinal alternate separator panels 42.

It will be noted from the foregoing description of the invention and the illustrations thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings, that the container, in its erected form, consists of a series of cells bounded by the front and rear walls 17 and 18, the transverse walls 20, the transverse partitions 21, the bottom walls 32 and 33, and the longitudinal central partitions 36 and 37. It is desirable that a certain degree of limited flexibility be given to the transverse walls, the transverse partitions and the longitudinal partitions to permit of their yieldable expan sion against pressure by the eggs or other articles that are inserted in the cells of the container in accordance with the size or dimension of the article and thereby providing a cushioning and a snug fit to the eggs nesting in the cells of the container.

As already mentioned, the longitudinal central partitions 36 and 37 are in the form of longitudinal alternate locking panels 40 and longitudinal alternate separator panels 42 that are cradled in the cut-out portions, from which they were made, and are integrally hinged to the interconnecting bridges 59 situated on each side of such cut-out portions, thereby eifecting a limited lateral springy action and of sufficient flexibility for engagement with the eggs and maintain abutment position therewith. In this way the cells are provided with cushioning adjustments for the eggs that automatically arrange such adjustments for themselves to conform with their sizes and dimensions.

Since certain changes may be made with the abovementioned structure and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A container comprising a pre-cut blank, scored, folded and set up to provide a container having front and rear walls, a bottom wall section formed of a pair of bottom walls integral with said front and rear walls and extending inwardly therefrom at an inclined angle and terminating into inner parallel longitudinal intermittent fold lines interspaced with parallel cut-out portions extending away therefrom and towards the front and rear walls, a pair of integral longitudinal central partitions formed from the cut-out portions of the bottom walls and integral with the inner parallel longitudinal intermittent fold lines and having common and parallel transverse cut-out portions, longitudinal alternate locking panels and longitudinal alternate separator panels formed from the transverse cut-out portions of said longitudinal central partitions and interspaced with one another, end and intermediate inverted U-shaped struts integral with said longitudinal central partitions and formed from the transverse cut-out portions thereof, transverse walls and transverse partitions hingedly secured to said front and rear walls and straddling the transverse cut-out portions of said longitudinal central partitions and the longitudinal intermittent fold lines of said bottom walls, each of said longitudinal locking panels having a locking shoulder for overlapping and engaging the top edge of an adjacent transverse partition and a contact shoulder for abutting a flat side of an adjacent transverse wall, transverse ledges integral with said front and rear walls and adapted to engage with the top surface of at least two of said inverted U-shaped struts, and a cover integral with said rear wall and adapted to form a closure for said container.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that each of the longitudinal separator panels is located between transverse partitions which are held from vertical movement through engagement and overlapping of their top edges by the locking shoulders of the adjacent longitudinal locking panels.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that the side walls, bottom walls, longitudinal locking panels and separator panels together with the transverse walls and the transverse partitions combine to form a series of cells, each cell enclosing one of the individual unobstructed cut-out portions formed in the bottom walls.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that each of the transverse walls has its opposing fiat sides in contact engagement by an inverted U-shaped strut and a longitudinal locking panel and that each of the transverse partitions is situated between adjacent longitudinal locking panels and longitudinal separator panels, thereby maintaining both the transverse walls and the transverse partitions in upright positions with limited flexible lateral movement.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the fact that each of the longitudinal locking panels has shoulders emanating from a common top fold line, one of the shoulders extending in a sloping outward and downward direction for a predetermined distance and then turned in a lateral inward direction and thereafter in a downward direction to complete a locking shoulder for engagement with and overlapping of the top edge of an adjacent transverse partition, the other of the shoulders extending in a sloping outward downward direction and then slanting in an inward downward direction to form an abutting edge for contact with the fiat side of an adjacent transverse wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,927,321 9/1933 OReilly 22929 1,954,595 4/1934 Levine 22929 1,985,579 12/1934 Reich 22929 3,173,597 3/1965 Colgren et al. 22929 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A PRE-CUT BLANK, SCORED, FOLDED AND SET UP TO PROVIDE A CONTAINER HAVING FRONT AND REAR WALLS, A BOTTOM WALL SECTION FORMED OF A PAIR OF BOTTOM WALLS INTEGRAL WITH SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND EXTENDING INWARDLY THEREFROM AT AN INCLINED ANGLE AND TERMINATING INTO INNER PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL INTERMITTENT FOLD LINES INTERSPACED WITH PARALLEL CUT-OUT PORTIONS EXTENDING AWAY THEREFROM AND TOWARDS THE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, A PAIR OF INTEGRAL LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL PARTITIONS FORMED FROM THE CUT-OUT PORTIONS OF THE BOTTOM WALLS AND INTEGRAL WITH THE INNER PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL INTERMITTENT FOLD LINES AND HAVING COMMON AND PARALLEL TRANSVERSE CUT-OUT PORTIONS, LONGITUDINAL ALTERNATE LOCKING PANELS AND LONGITUDINAL ALTERNATE SEPARATOR PANELS FORMED FROM THE TRANS VERSE CUT-OUT PORTIONS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL PARTITIONS AND INTERSPACED WITH ONE ANOTHER, END AND INTERMEDIATE INVERTED U-SHAPED STRUTS INTEGRAL WITH SAID LONGI TUDINAL CENTRAL PARTITIONS AND FORMED FROM THE TRANSVERSE CUT-OUT PORTIONS THEREOF, TRANSVERSE WALLS AND TRANSVERSE PARTITIONS HINGEDLY SECURED TO SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND STRADDLING THE TRANSVERSE CUT-OUT PORTIONS OF SAID LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL PARTITIONS AND THE LONGITUDINAL INTERMITTENT FOLD LINES OF SAID BOTTOM WALLS, EACH OF SAID LONGITUDINAL LOCKING PANELS HAVING A LOCKING SHOULDER FOR OVERLAPPING AND ENGAGING THE TOP EDGE OF AN ADJACENT TRANSVERSE PARTITION AND A CONTACT SHOULDER FOR ABUTTING A FLAT SIDE OF AN ADJACENT TRANVERSE WALL, TRANSVERSE LEDGES INTEGRAL WITH SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE TOP SURFACE OF AT LEAST TWO OF SAID INVERTED U-SHAPED STRUTS, AND A COVER INTEGRAL WITH SAID REAR WALL AND ADAPTED TO FORM A CLOSURE FOR SAID CONTAINER. 